


Five Little Pigs

by LadyBelleBaelish



Series: Willas Tyrell, Consulting Detective [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: 1940/50s, Alternate Universe, F/M, Murder Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-04-04 14:57:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4142055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBelleBaelish/pseuds/LadyBelleBaelish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Petyr Baelish was hanged for poisoning his wife, but just like the nursery rhyme, there were five other "little pigs" who could have done it:<br/>Harrold Hardyng (the playboy) , who went to market; Sandor Clegane (the old lover), who stayed home; Myranda Royce (the mistress) , who had her roast beef; Lysa Arryn (the jealous aunt), who had none; and Arya Stark (the little sister) who cried all the way home.</p><p>Sixteen years later, Petyr's daughter is determined to prove her father's innocence and Willas Tyrell just can't get that nursery rhyme out of his head</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Based heavily on Agatha Christie's Poirot mystery 'Five Little Pigs'

 

Willas was seated at his usual table with a coffee cup in hand one hand and a pencil in the other. He was doing a crossword puzzle as he waited for the woman he was meeting.

A few moments later a young woman was ushered in. She was wearing a simple, but elegant black dress. She had dark hair that tumbled down her back, a prominent nose, and the most beautiful blue eyes that Willas had only seen on one other woman.

“Mr. Tyrell, I presume?”

“In the flesh, please have a seat.” He motioned to the seat across from him, which she took.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here.” She said after a moment.

“Yes.” Her letter had been very brief and very business like. Merely stating she wanted an appointment, nothing more.

“I’m here because I need the best, Mr. Tyrell.”

“I am the best, Ms. Greyjoy.”

“I’m glad to hear it. What I’m asking is not an easy task.”

“And what is it you are asking?” He asked with sincere fascination.

Alayne took a deep breath before starting. “My name is not Greyjoy. It’s Baelish.”

The name set off a bell in the detective’s head. “Baelish…I seem to remember…”

“My mother was an actress. A great one, from what I’m told.”

Willas hesitated before he asked “Sansa Baelish?”

“Yes…and my father was tried for murdering her.”

“I remember now, yes…I knew your mother.”

Alayne’s blue eyes flashed. “You did?”

“Before she was married.” He said quickly. “She was friends with my sister. I remember a very sweet girl…Please continue.”

“I was five when all this happened. I remember my parents were very much in love and then suddenly I was sent away.” Alayne was trying to keep her face passive, though Willas could tell she was distressed. “I was sent to Canada to live with Theon and Jeyne Greyjoy, old friends of my mother’s family. They raised me as if I was theirs. When I first arrived I would keep asking about my parents. They said they would join us soon, but they never did. Somehow I just knew they were dead.” Alayne paused in her story. “Recently they were obliged to tell me the truth. I just turned twenty-one and for one, I came into my own money…and then there’s the letter my father left me.”

“Letter?” Willas had to admit he was intrigued. He remembered reading about the trial in the paper. He hadn’t gone to the funeral for Sansa. Sometimes he wished he had.

“My father wrote me a letter before they hanged him. He promised me he didn’t kill her.”

“Forgive me, but it is very possible-“

“I know who my father was, Mr. Tyrell.” Alayne raised her chin defiantly. “I’m not a fool. But I don’t believe he would ever lie to me, not even to put my mind at ease. If he says he didn’t kill my mother, I believe him.”

He was very confused by the girl. Her story was fascinating to be sure, but what did she want from him.

“This is all very well, but what is it you want?”

“I want you to investigate the case.”

The older man was taken aback. “But, my dear-“

“Yes, the case is sixteen years old, I know. That’s why I need the best. That’s why I need _you.”_

Willas thought of the little redheaded girl he used to play with. She’d always been rather pretty and Margery used to tease him about her. Insisting he was in love with her.

“I’ll do it.”

Alayne was clearly surprised that he had agreed so quickly, but she was nonetheless pleased. “Thank you, Mr. Tyrell.”

~~

“The Baelish case.” Jorah Mormont sighed. “Not one of my great success’.” The older man collapsed into his desk chair. “Not as if I didn’t try, you know. But the man wouldn’t cooperate.”

“The defense was suicide correct?”

Mormont nodded. “Didn’t go down very well. Everyone knew how much Sansa Stark loved both her career and her daughter. Never would’ve given either up because of her husband.”

“I can’t imagine she was keen on giving him up either, though.”

“She was the sort of girl who wanted everything, so I’m told. Never actually met her.”

The description Mormont gave did not sound like the Sansa Stark Willas remembered. Nonetheless, he silently agreed Sansa was not one for suicide.

“So you think Petyr Baelish was guilty?”

Mormont’s eyebrow flew up. “I thought we were taking that for granted, Mr. Tyrell.”

“Did he ever admit it?”

The lawyer scoffed. “He didn’t need to. He had motive and means. He was even overheard to say he would kill her if she prevented the divorce.”

Willas had not remembered that bit. “Divorce?”

“Yes, Baelish seemed to have a track record for getting mixed up with all sorts of women. This time he actually fell for her. Myranda Royce, I believe it was.”

““What was the evidence against him?”

“He stole some poison from a friend who dabbled in the stuff. He hide it in his room, when the police found it, he claimed it was for himself.” Mormont leaned over the desk. “What he couldn’t explain was why the bottle was empty and only his fingerprints were on it. If Sansa Stark had used it on herself, her fingerprints would’ve been on it as well.”

“How did he give it to her?”

Mormont sighed. “Spiked her lemonade. They even found the dropper he used crushed in the grass not far from the body. Oh the prosecution had a field day.”

“So he put the poison in the glass?”

“Correct.”

Willas nodded and got to his feet. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Mormont.”

~~

“Guilty as hell.” Tyrion Lannister insisted. “Would you like some?” He was pouring himself a glass of brandy.

“No thank you.” Tyrion had been the counsel for the prosecution. “But what makes you say that?” Willas pressed.

The dwarf balked at the man. “Did you ever meet Petyr Baelish, my friend?”

Willas had to admit he knew the man only by reputation.

“He was not a man to be crossed.” Tyrion took a swig of his drink. “And all I can say is poor Miss Stark crossed him.” Another swig. “He had a hand in the murder of my nephew, you know.” Willas raised an eyebrow. “Not that we could prove anything, of course, but I’m convinced.”

“How did she cross him exactly?” Willas was determined to get some information out of the man before he was too drunk to remember his name.

Tyrion thought for a moment before replying. “It was overheard that she was going to do everything in her power to prevent the divorce.”

“Over heard by whom?”

“Oh fuck if I remember. All I know is that she said she wouldn’t let him go and he responded with saying he’d kill her first.”

“And why would she have to prevent the divorce?”

The imp shrugged. “Another woman. Baelish was planning on leaving her.” He’d finished his glass and went to pour another one.

“Baelish is the only one that could’ve poisoned her?”

Tyrion considered for a moment. “I suppose not, but he’s the only one with motive. What are you asking me all this for anyway?”

“They had a daughter. Alayne.”

“Yes, I believe they did. How is that relevant?”

“She’s hired me to clear her father’s name.”

Tyrion chuckled. “You’re beating a dead horse, my friend. But please ask away. I’ve got all day and I need some amusement.”

“Who else was at the house?”

“Let’s see,” The dwarf considered for a moment. “Hell I don’t recall, I’ll got get the file.” The imp went over to one of his filing cabinets and a moment later pulled out a manila folder. “Yes here we go.

There was Ms. Stark’s sister, Arya, she lived with them, you see. The rest of the family had been killed during the war.”

“I remember.” The death of the Stark family had been in the news for weeks.

“Then let’s see, she had a governess…who was their aunt, Lysa Arryn” Tyrion continued to flip through papers as we spoke.

“Myranda Royce, of course, she was another. Friend of Sansa’s, former friend I suppose I should say. When Sansa found out about her and Baelish she was livid.

The other two were Harold Hardyng, who was a friend of both parties and Sandor Clegane. Clegane was the only one not staying at the house. And I believe he’s the one Baelish nicked the poison from.”

The detective stood, “Thank you for your time, Mr. Lannister.”

“Anytime boy.”

Willas left the office somewhat satisfied.

Though if Petyr Baelish _was_ innocent, as Alayne believe. One of the other five must be guilty.

Despite himself he couldn’t get a certain nursery rhythm out of his head.


	2. This Little Pig Went to Market

Harold Hardyng had graciously agreed to meet with him. Willas wasn’t sure what he was expecting from the man, but he was pleasantly surprised when Hardyng turned out to be easy to talk to.

Though his face did falter a bit when Willas mentioned why he was here.

“I remember little Alayne. She was a very pretty child; she looked just like her mother… Do you think she’d see me?”

“That I couldn’t say.”

The pair had met at a café and Willas was sipping at some tea while Harold fiddled with his coffee mug.

“Well what exactly is it you want to know?” He asked.

“Perhaps I could start with a few questions?”

“Whatever you need.”

“How long had you know Petyr and Sansa Baelish?”

Harold lit a cigar. “I’d known him longer. He was a friend of my Aunt Anya’s. I didn’t meet Sansa till they were already engaged, but I liked her from the start.”

“What did you think of the defense’s suicide claim?”

The blonde man shook his head. “Absolutely not. She just wasn’t that sort of girl. Even if Sansa was going to kill herself, she would’ve been much more dramatic about it. Drowned herself or thrown herself off a cliff, but poison? No.” He sighed. “No, I’m afraid he must’ve done it.”

“So you think Mr. Baelish did kill his wife?”

“I don’t see any other explanation. If Sansa said she wasn’t getting a divorce, Sansa wasn’t getting a divorce. I think that’s what he liked about her in the first place she always knew how to get her way. Of course in the end it got in the way of what he wanted.”

“In a letter to his daughter, Mr. Baelish swears he didn’t do it.”

Harold shrugged. “Petyr was a liar, Tyrell. He would want his daughter to think highly of him.”

Willas nodded slowly, not really sure if he believed the statement. “Under normal circumstances what was Mr. and Mrs. Baelish’s relationship like?”

Hardyng chuckled. “Those two didn’t have normal circumstances, Tyrell. They were either wrapped up in each other or in their corners bashing it out.”

“What did they fight about?” Though Willas already suspected the answer.

“What else man? Petyr had his flings and, as you can imagine, Sansa never liked that.” He put the cigar out. “Though if you ask me, she had flings of her own. I mean why else would Clegane follow her around the way he did? He was like a lovesick puppy, a little sad if you think about it.”

Willas shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m confused. You think Ms. Stark was having an affair with Sandor Clegane?”

Harold considered his response. “Yes and no. I think she used him whenever Petyr was, ah…out of favor, let’s say.”

“Do you think that might have been a factor? To him…”

Harold understood his meaning, but he shook his head. “It may have been, but I don’t think it was much of one. No I think he killed her simply because of Myranda Royce.”

“And what can you tell me about Ms. Royce?”

Harold shrugged. “She was rather pretty, I suppose. Not my type, but I can see why Petyr liked her.”

“What was her relationship with Sansa? I heard they were friends before…all this happened.”

“If they were, I wouldn’t know. I liked Sansa, don’t get me wrong, but I knew Petyr better.”

“I see….” Willas could tell he wasn’t going to get much more information out of Harold Hardyng. “Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Hardyng.” He stood and the other man followed suit.

“Of course, is that all?”

“No, actually,” Willas reached into his inside jacket pocked and pulled out his card with his address on it. “If you wouldn’t mind writing down everything you remember from those few days and sending it to me at that address, I would be most grateful.”

Harold took the card a little warily, but he nodded. “Of course…whatever will help put little Alayne’s mind at rest.”

~~

Willas collapsed onto his couch. He covered his face with his hands and did some deep breathing before pressing his hands under his chin in a prayer like fashion. He needed to think.

Could Harold Hardyng be the killer? Surely if he was he would’ve been more hesitant to talk about the case.

No, Willas knew that was not always the case.

Still, he couldn’t see the jolly Harold Hardyng plotting to murder the beautiful redhead.

Stranger things had happened though.

He took a deep breath before sitting up again. He grabbed his cane and pulled himself up so he was standing. It wasn’t that late but he had to get up early the next day. He groaned a little, he was not particularly looking forward to meeting with Sandor Clegane.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was shorter than I'd anticipated, but the next two should be longer.


	3. This Little Pig Stayed Home

Sandor Clegane still lived right down the road from where it all happened.

“You say Alayne hired you?” He asked, Willas nodded. The man was over six feet tall and the detective was a little intimidated.

“What is she hoping to find out?”

Willas knew the man was not going to like his answer. “She, uh, wants to prove her father’s innocence.”

“Then she won’t be getting what she wants.” The man turned to face the window. “That bastard murdered her in cold blood.”

“Even if that’s true, Mr. Clegane, Alayne just wants be absolutely sure.”

Clegane was silent for a few moments. “Ask your questions.”

Willas silently let out the breath he’d been holding. Maybe this would be easier than he’d anticipated.

“Alright then…er, what was your relationship with Sansa Stark?”

The bigger man chuckled darkly. “If you’re asking me you already know the answer to that.”

“And it didn’t bother you that she wouldn’t leave her husband? Or even in the end when she wouldn’t let him leave?”

Clegane turned to face him. “Of course it bothered me. That monster didn’t deserve her and I would’ve made her happy.” Willas shifted uncomfortably. “I knew her before she met him. She was so happy then…”

“So you don’t think she committed suicide?”

“No. She would never- he killed her, Tyrell.”

Willas took a moment before asking his next question.

“Uh…how well did you know Petyr Baelish?” He drummed his fingers nervously on his knee.

Clegane growled a little, but responded after a minute. “Mostly by reputation. He knew everybody’s secrets and he had his hands in everything.”

“What did you think about his relationship with Myranda Royce?”

“I thought he was a bloody idiot. The Royce girl was pretty enough, but how could he leave _Sansa_ for her? No…you know what I think? I think he needed her for something. He was a schemer that one. I think he _needed_ Myranda Royce.”

“So you don’t think he would’ve gone through with it? Marrying her?”

“Oh I think he would’ve. Even if just to spite Sansa.”

“You don’t think he really cared for either of them?”

“No, that man didn’t have a heart. But I saw the way he looked at Sansa the first time they met, the lust in his eyes. That’s all she was to him, but she was convinced her was in love with her.”

He took a moment before continuing. “They all came over for a picnic the day before it happened and I pulled him aside and said he was making Sansa’s life miserable. He said ‘I know, but your little bird isn’t exactly a saint’. I could’ve killed him right then.”

Willas could see the man getting angrier by the second. _Time to change the subject._ He thought.

“What about the little sister, Arya?”

“What about her?”

“What did she think about this whole situation?”

Clegane shrugged. “Knowing Arya she was furious, she probably gave Baelish a piece of her mind. She was the only person Sansa put before Baelish. He didn’t like that.”

“Really? I thought the two of them got along.”

“Oh I’m sure he acting like he cared about her, but he was so insistent about sending her away.”

“Why?”

“Well for one, he was jealous of the attention Sansa gave the girl. A week or so before I think she’d put a slug or something down Baelish’s shirt, that made him pretty pissed as you could imagine.”

Willas nodded. “I take it Arya didn’t like the idea of boarding school?”

Clegane shook his head. “No she did not. I think she was even more irritated because this time Sansa agreed that she should go.”

“What did the governess think of Arya going away to school?”

“Lysa?” He shrugged. “Can’t imagine she liked the idea, but I don’t think she had particularly liked Arya. She’d only taken the job to be closer to Baelish.”

Willas stared for a moment. “Sorry-what?”

“You didn’t know?” Clegane let out a low chuckle. “You’re about to learn about this fucked up family, Tyrell. Before Sansa was born, Baelish and Lysa had a fling. Didn’t last very long, mind you, but it still happened.”

Willas shifted uncomfortably at thinking of Sansa with someone who might’ve been her uncle. “And Sansa was alright with this?”

The man scoffed. “Of course she wasn’t alright with it. They were just engaged when she found out; she came back here and cried for nearly two hours. I told her then and there to leave him, but she just stood up wiped her eyes and went back to him. I never understood her.” He gave a ghost of a smile.

“So Lysa was still in love with Baelish then?”

“Beats me. Probably. Nutty that one was. She hated Sansa. I’m surprised they took her on.”

Willas nodded and continued his questions. “Baelish stole the poison from you, correct?”

Clegane grunted a “Yes”

“When did you discover it was missing?”

“The morning it happened. I went over there and told Harold Hardyng. He thought Sansa had taken it, the fool, as if she could hurt anyone.”

“If I may say so, Mr. Clegane-“

“No you may bloody well not. You didn’t know her Tyrell. She couldn’t hurt anyone.”

Willas was growing a little sick of the man. “I grew up with her, actually.”

Clegane raised an eyebrow. “And you still think she could kill somebody?”

“I think had more motivation than love to marry a man like Petyr Baelish.” It was true, shortly after the Baelish marriage Cersei Lannister had been arrested, while her father had been found dead in his office in somewhat suspicious circumstances. Not to mention Joffery, all had played some part in the murder of the Starks and the torment of Sansa. Petyr Baelish had been a man with connections, a man who could make anything happen. No, it couldn’t have been a coincidence.

“Is that all then?” Clegane asked gruffly.

“One last thing,” Willas reached in his pocket and gave him the same speech he’d give Hardyng. Clegane took the card with no resistance, much to Willas’ surprise.

The detective rose to his feet. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Clegane.”

~~

When he got back to his apartment, Willas sat down at his desk. He had not liked Clegane and wouldn’t mind if the man turned out to be the murderer. Both him and his elder brother, who was currently in prison, were known for their tempers. Maybe he’d finally snapped and poisoned Sansa. Willas suspected that the girl had just kept him around to make her husband angry. Perhaps Clegane had finally figured that out? One could hope. But he couldn’t really see Clegane carefully planning the murder of the woman he supposedly loved. Acting on an impulse and strangling her he could see, but poison no. Poison had Petyr Baelish written all over it. Willas sighed. This was not going well.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,”

His secretary entered his office. “Excuse me, sir, I’ve just had a call from Myranda Royce.”

Willas sat up a little straighter, “What did she say?”

“She said she’d be happy to met you for tea tomorrow.”

“Excellent,” Willas beamed. “Thank you, Lily.”

The girl was about to leave when she whirled back around. “I almost forgot.”

“Yes?”

Lily disappeared for a moment and then repapered with an envelope. She handed him “This was dropped off while you were out.”

Willas eagerly took the envelope from his employee. “Thank you,” He said quickly. The letter was from Harold Hardyng.

 

 

 


	4. This Little Pig Had Roast Beef

She had agreed to come by Willas’s for the meeting. She was by just in time for tea.

Myranda Royce was, appearance wise, the opposite of Sansa Stark. Short and curvy, where Sansa had been tall and thin; dark curly hair with eyes to match in contrast to Sansa’s bright blue orbs and fiery red hair.

“I was most intrigued by your message, Mr. Tyrell.” She said as Willas poured the tea.

“Yes…and I thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”

“Of course, but why are you digging all this up now?”

Willas had left the details about Alayne out on purpose. “Alayne Baelish hired me to, uh, clear her father’s name.” There was something about Miss Royce that made him nervous. He couldn’t quite place his finger on what.

“Oh.” Myranda’s face turned sour for a moment before returning to its previous smile. “Well I’m afraid she’ll be disappointed.”

“You don’t think he was innocent?”

Myranda sighed sadly. “No, he got angry and he killed her. That’s the truth I’m afraid.”

Willas was a little shocked by her attitude. “You’re not willing to consider another option?”

Myranda shrugged. “I don’t see what other options there are, Mr. Tyrell.”

“Well, uh, that’s what I’m here to try to figure out,” He handed her the teacup. “Would you mind answering some questions?”

She shrugged and took a sip. “Ask away.”

“Well for one, how long had you known Sansa Stark?”

“Sansa and I were in our first show together.” She set the cup on the desk as she thought. “Let’s see, it was… _The Importance of Being Ernest..._ I was Gwendolyn and she was Cecily. We stayed close for a year or so after that, then we fell out of touch.” She picked up her teacup again.

“And when did you met Petyr Baelish?”

Myranda smirked as she sipped at her tea. “He knew my father, we met at one of his parties. We had some sort of instant connection. I wouldn’t call it love at first sight, but it was something.”

Willas resisted the urge to name the feeling he was sure Petyr Baelish had felt upon first seeing the beautiful Miss Royce.

“Did you know he was married when you met him?”

“Yes.”

He pressed on. “Did you know he was married to Miss Stark?”

“Yes.”

Willas was taken aback. “And you still-“

“It wasn’t as if we were sisters, Mr. Tyrell.” She interrupted. “I hadn’t talked to her in years. And besides, neither one of us knew at the time that it was going to be more than a one night thing.”

Willas was trying to wrap his mind around the way the girl thought. Even Margery, who was very, ah, free thinking, wouldn’t have crossed that line.

“Does your leg bother you?” She asked suddenly.

“W-what?” Willas snapped back to reality.

“Your leg. You have a cane.”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you for your concern. You’re, uh, very observant.”

“Petyr had a scar on his chest, you know.” She added thoughtfully.

“Uh, no I didn’t.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this.

“It ran from his collarbone all the way down his stomach…” She seemed to remember something and she giggled a little. Willas was positive he didn’t want to hear this. “The story behind it is rather fascinating.” She added

“Oh?”

“Yes, you see Petyr grew up with Sansa’s mother, Catelyn. And when she got engaged to Brandon Stark, well, Petyr didn’t like that. He was in love with her, you see, and one night he got very drunk and-“

“ _What?”_ Willas’ train of thought just crashed and burned. “He was in love _with her mother_?”

Myranda looked surprised. “You didn’t know? I thought it was common knowledge.”

Had Sansa known? She must’ve. But then why would she- how could she- _why_? Willas shuddered. The more he learned about the Stark/Baelish family the more disturbed he became.

“Sansa knew, of course.” Myranda was saying. “She reasoned that Cat had just been an obsession of his. That she was the one he really loved. Poor girl. Delusional. It’s rather sad when you think about it.”

“Sad is not the word I would use, Miss Royce.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” She continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “I think he really cared about her, to a certain extent. But I think, to Petyr, Sansa was his second chance with Catelyn, in a way.”

“I-um-uh- what was he like those last few days?” He was going to get this interview back on course come hell or high water.

“What do you mean?”

“Did he seem angry? Did he show any signs of violence towards his wife?”

“No, actually. He just kept telling me how much of a fuss she was making.” Myranda suddenly remembered something. “Oh no! I remember there was something he said. It was that last day, I think. It may have been the day before…” She shook her head. “Anyway, I was sitting on the back porch and the window was open so I could hear them arguing inside. She said something about her being his wife no matter what and he responded with ‘Maybe I’ll just have to kill you’. Of course, I didn’t think he had really meant it. That man did have the strangest sense of humor.”

Willas nodded slowly. Things did not look good for the deceased Mr. Baelish that was for sure.

“One last question if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Go right ahead.”

Willas hesitated a little, but said, “How did you feel when you heard Miss Stark was dead?”

Myranda frowned. “I wasn’t happy, if that’s what you’re looking for. She had, after all, been my friend at one time and I hadn’t really wished her any ill will. She had been in our way, I suppose, but I had confidence that Petyr would handle it. I guess he did, in a way…” She wasn’t looking at Willas anymore. “As soon as I heard…I knew it was him.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “I didn’t want it to be, but who else could it have been?” She took a deep breath. “You must know Mr. Tyrell, I never wanted her dead.” Willas could see tears forming in her eyes. “I just- that is- we were” She looked into her cup “I loved him, Mr. Tyrell.” She said the last part so quietly that he almost hadn’t heard it.

She was sniffing, Willas handed her a handkerchief.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Tyrell. I’m making a fool of myself.” She said after drying her eyes. She set the piece of cloth on the desk and sniffed one final time.

“Not at all, Miss Royce.” Willas said quickly. He decided to end the interview there. He gave her the same request he’d given Clegane and Hardyng. She agreed and was off.

He flopped back in his chair, spinning himself a little as he thought. Myranda Royce was something else. She’d come in with skin like steel and he’d somehow reduced her to tears. Could she possibly have killed Sansa? She, of course, had as much motive as Baelish had, but then why incriminate the man she wanted to marry? If he was in her position he would’ve pinned it on Clegane. And made it look like Sansa’s lover had gone mad.

He rubbed his face. Oh God, none of it made sense.

He must’ve dozed of because some time later he was awakened by Lily’s voice.

“Hm?” Willas said sleepily.

“Its past six, Mr. Tyrell. You should eat.” Lily was a sweet girl and she seemed to genuinely care about his welfare.

“Thank you, Lily.” He stood up slowly and stretched. “Oh, any word from Lysa Arryn or Arya Stark?”

“Yes, Mrs. Arryn called back. She said she’d met with you.” She handed him a small notecard with an address written on it. “But she wants you to go to her.”

He groaned. “Very well.” Lily chuckled a little and started her exit.

“Actually, uh, Lily?”

“Yes, Mr. Tyrell?” She turned.

“Care to join me for dinner?”

She smiled warmly. “I’d love to.”

He returned her smile and offered her his arm.

At least he would have a nice evening before having to deal with the anomaly that he suspected was Lysa Arryn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like writing awkward Willas. He's just adorable, or rather he strikes me as the sort of person who would be adorable.  
> Next up is the crazy bitch we all know and love, Lysa Arryn.


	5. This Little Pig Had None

Lysa Arryn’s home was a on the top floor of a rather tall building in downtown London. Willas wasn’t afraid of heights, but he wasn’t particularly fond of them either. He would be glad to get this interview over with.

“What is it you want to know?” Lysa asked once Willas was seated.

“Well, Alayne has hired me to prove-“

“Yes, yes I know that part.” The older woman waved her hand.

“Uh, alright then…if I could start with a few questions?”

“Go on then.” Lysa crossed her arms over her chest.

“Would you tell me about Arya?”

The older woman snorted. “What about Arya? She was a wild thing. Always running around, never listening to a word I said. Thank God she was sent off to school.”

“Then why did you take the job if you didn’t like her?”

Lysa seemed to consider what she was about to say before she opened her mouth. “Well, I didn’t know what she was like when I took the job…and she _was_ my niece. So I though that Cat would’ve raised her to be a lady, unfortunately she was yet another one of my sister’s failures.” She was studying her hands now.

Willas nodded. “So it had nothing to do with Petyr Baelish or Sansa Stark?”

Lysa’s head snapped up. “Who told you that?”

“I was told that, at one point, you were…involved with-

“We were lovers.” She interrupted. “When we were younger.” She added quietly.

“And what did you think when he married your niece?”

“You think I killed her don’t you?!”

“Mrs. Arryn-“

“I didn’t kill that whore, but I gladly would have!”

“Mrs. Arryn _please._ I just want to find out what happened.”

Lysa took a deep breath and Willas was ready to leave right then, but he knew there was more to learn. Much as this was most likely going to become more depraved.

“Right,” Lysa sniffed. “It’s just so hard.”

“Y-yes I can imagine.”

“Ask your questions.”

“Right, uh…moving on…what did you think of Baelish’s suicide claim?”

“No, unfortunately.”

The amount of hate this woman was throwing at her dead niece was highly disturbing to Willas. “So you think Baelish did kill her?”

“Yes, I do, but who could blame him? The way she carried on, I mean, the girl was practically asking for it. ”

That was a step too far for the sleuth. “Mrs. Arryn, I’m sorry, but am I missing something? She was your niece.”

“ _She stole Petyr from me.”_

Willas was going to need serious therapy after dealing with this family. “Uh, um…that, uh,” Willas coughed. “That must be, er, uh…painful to talk about, but would you mind, er,” He was going to regret hearing this, “elaborating on that.”

Lysa shifted a little. “Well, I hadn’t seen him in years…because of Jon, you know. And when he died, I decided to find Petyr.” Lysa’s face turned sour. “And I found him with that harlot.”

“Ma’am, I understand why it would be, er, strange, for you, finding your former lover married… to your niece, but” He couldn’t believe he just uttered that sentence. “I mean, they _were_ married.”

“And she was sleeping with that neighbor of theirs!”

“From what I’ve heard he wasn’t exactly, er, faithful. I mean, he was planning to leave her for Myranda Royce.”

“Please, he wouldn’t have really done that. He just-“

Willas snapped. “Forgive me, but he supposedly killed his wife over Myranda Royce, I don’t think he was just stringing her along.”

“So you _do_ think Petyr killed Sansa.”

Willas took a deep breath and rubbed his fingers against his temples. “Mrs. Arryn. I don’t know what to think, I’m just trying to examine all the facts so I can give my honest opinion to Miss Baelish.”

Lysa pursed her lips. “Very well. But you’re wasting your time. I _know_ he killed her. And even if I think he was justified, that doesn’t change the facts.”

“It’s interesting that you say, ‘I know’, everyone else I’ve talked to had been insistent that it was him, but none of them have claimed to _know_ that he did it.”

Lysa took a moment before replying. “What I’m about to tell you, I’ve never told anyone else…Petyr and I found the body, he sent me back to the house to call the police, but I ran into Sandor Clegane and gave him the message. He went back to the house and I went back to Petyr. When I got there he was in a frantic state. I’d never seen him like that…he was wiping the finger prints off the glasses and trying to put new ones on with her hand…That’s how I know, Mr. Tyrell.”

 

Willas’ mind was racing. “Well, uh, that changes things…Thank you for your time, Mrs. Arryn.” He pulled himself to his feet.

“Is that all?” She followed his example

“No, um,” He handed her his card. “If you wouldn’t mind writing down everything you remember and sending it to me at that address.”

“I suppose…” Willas thanked her again and headed towards the door.

“Will I be able to meet Alayne?” Lysa asked suddenly, causing Willas to turn back around.

“I would imagine so, Mrs. Arryn. You are, after all, family.”

She let out a mocking laugh. “Yes, Great Aunt Lysa.” She said bitterly.

With that, Willas left.

~~

“Lily,” He called entering his apartment.

“Yes, Mr. Tyrell?” She appeared as if out of nowhere.

“Would you mind pouring some brandy. I could really use some.”

“Of course, Mr. Tyrell.”

He flopped down on the couch and ran his hand through his hair. “Pour yourself some, if you’d like.”

Lily came back a moment later and handed him the glass. “Was Mrs. Arryn that bad?”

Willas took a swig. “Worse.”

Lily chuckled. “Is that all, Mr. Tyrell ?”

“Any word from Arya Stark?” He asked taking another sip.

“No, not yet. But I do know where you can find her tomorrow.”

His eyebrow shot up. “Where?”

“She’s giving a master class on fencing. I’m sure you could catch her there.” She handed him a piece of paper with an address on it.

“You’re an absolute darling, do you know that?”

She blushed a little. “Will that be all, Mr. Tyrell?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Lily smiled and went to get her things before leaving.

Willas leaned back on the sofa, brandy glass still in hand. He hoped Arya Stark wouldn’t reveal anymore horrifying Baelish family secrets. This was already too much to handle. He shook his head. Could the murderer be Lysa Arryn? The answer was, honestly, yes. She seemed to have a great contempt for her niece, well both of them really, but especially Sansa. But did she have the opportunity? Baelish had, Myranda had, Clegane had. But did Lysa? The more he learned about this case the more he wished he’d taken an interest in it at the time.

Willas downed the last of his drink before heading to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So writing awkward Willas is becoming my new favorite thing.  
> Next up is our final suspect Miss Arya!


	6. This Little Pig Cried "Wee wee wee"

Arya Stark was a world-class fencer, even Willas, who knew precious little about the sport, could see that. He watched her give her class to the eager students. And once it was over he waited till the crowd dwindled before approaching her.

“Willas Tyrell, Miss Stark.” He introduced himself.

Arya’s smile faltered. “Oh yes, I, uh I got your letter.”

“Forgive me, but-“

“No, it’s alright, I should have called back. There’s a café around the corner. Let’s talk there.”

Willas was very pleased at how cooperative the girl was being. He waited patiently while Arya changed into her normal clothes.

A few minutes later, she rejoined him and the pair walked a block to the café Arya spoke of.

“So Alayne’s asked you to do this?” She asked as they walked.

“Yes, she has.”

“That’s wonderful…I wish I’d kept in contact with her more.”

Willas offered her a sincere smile. “I am fairly positive she would love to see you, Miss Stark.” This caused the younger woman to smile herself. They remained silent for the reach of the short journey, not wanting to discuss murder in the streets of London.

“I’m glad that she thinks he didn’t do it.” Arya finally said when they had taken their seats in a secluded corner of the café.

Willas was taken aback. “You don’t think Mr. Baelish was guilty?”

“No.” Arya shrugged. “I know how it looks, but you didn’t live with them, Mr. Tyrell. I did. Yes, they fought and yes they both cheated, but believe me when I say I’d never seen two people more in love.”

This was a very different story than what he’d heard. “So you don’t think that Mr. Baelish was with your sister because of, er, your mother.”

Arya rolled her eyes. “Which one of them told you that? Was it Myranda? Oh no, I bet it was Lysa. That bitch was always jealous of their relationship.”

The waitress came and delivered the teapot they had ordered. Willas poured them both a cup. “So you think he wouldn’t have killed her despite the circumstances?”

“Exactly. He loved her too much. And yes, I know how that sounds. Especially when you’re talking about a man like Petyr Baelish. But it’s true.”

Arya was painting a very different Petyr Baelish from what he had previously heard.

“You surprise me, Miss Stark. I was under the impression you didn’t like him.”

The Stark girl shrugged. “Those last few weeks we hadn’t been on the best of terms. I was angry at him because of the way he was treating Sansa.”

“You put a slug down his back didn’t you?”

Arya chuckled. “Yes, I think I did. He was cheating on my sister, after all.”

“You seem to be rather relaxed on that point, Miss Stark.”

“I don’t think you fully understand, Mr. Tyrell.” Arya insisted. “Petyr had his flings, Sansa had her thing with Sandor Clegane, but they _always_ came back to each other. They loved each other. It’s that simple.”

“He admitted that he was leaving her for Miss Royce.”

Arya let out an irritated sigh. “My brother-in-law played people all the time for information. Myranda Royce is the daughter of a politician. You do the math, Mr. Tyrell.”

“And he couldn’t just tell his wife this?”

“Maybe he _did._ Maybe she was just playing along. Or maybe he didn’t, either way, he _never_ would’ve left Sansa.”

Willas ran his hand through his hair. “I must say, Miss Stark, you are painting a very different picture.”

Arya offered a triumphant smile. “Sometimes you have to look at things from a different point of view.”

“Alright then, let’s suppose someone else did kill your sister. Who would you suggest?” Willas leaned back in his seat and watched the girl think.

Arya considered for a moment. “Harold Hardyng.”

That was not the response Willas had been expecting. “You surprise me, Miss Stark. Why Mr. Hardyng? I can see no reason he could have for wanting to kill your sister.”

Arya shifted a little, taking a sip of her otherwise untouched tea before responding. “You know how Sansa was having an affair with Sandor Clegane?”

Willas nodded.

“Well, she had a fling with Harold too.”

The detective’s eyes widened. “How can you be sure?”

Arya sighed. “It was a day or so before it happened. It was late and I was still wondering around, I was just about to head to my room when I saw Sansa go into Harold’s room. At the time I didn’t fully realize what that could indicate, so I listened at the door. They were arguing about something, I think Sansa said something about how she wasn’t going to pay him anymore and she was going to finally tell Petyr. Harold got very angry, I think he may have threatened her…It was so long ago, I can’t quiet remember…” Arya’s face had scrunched up as she tried to recall the event.

The detective’s mind was racing. “You have been more than helpful, Miss Stark.” He managed.

“Is that all then?” Arya asked.

“No not quite.” Willas asked her about writing down all she remembered, the girl heartily agreed and was off.

~~

“How did you meeting with Arya go?” Lily asked when he got in.

“Interesting,” He replied, flopping down on the couch. “Miss Stark gave me a very different image of Mr. Baelish.”

“Oh?” Lily took a seat in the chair opposite.

“She also thinks Harold Hardyng is the killer. And I’m more lost than ever.” He groaned in irritation.

“Then perhaps these would help.” Lily produced three envelopes and handed them to him.

“You’re an angel,” Willas declared, sitting up. “An absolute angel.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! You've meet all the suspects!


	7. The Narrative of Harold Hardyng

_I’d just come back from a business meeting in Edinburgh. Sansa had invited me down for the week. It had been a while since I’d seen either of them and I was looking forward to the trip._

_When I got there, however, there was more of an atmosphere than usual. I soon saw why._

_I got in and the first thing I heard was a vase breaking from upstairs._

_“They’ve been at it for hours,” The housekeeper told me._

_“Why won’t you listen to me!” Sansa was yelling._

_“Sansa for God’s sake!”_

_“Oh fine! Run away like you always do!” And she threw something else._

_I passed her on the stairs, Myranda that is. “And you are?” She asked._

_“Hardyng. Harold Hardyng.”_

_“Nice to meet you Mr. Hardyng.” I couldn’t fault Petyr’s taste in women, that’s for sure._

_I went to unpack and Petyr popped in a few minutes later._

_“Sorry I wasn’t here to see you in…things are a bit rocky at the moment.”_

_“Is it serious? You and Myranda?”_

_He just smirked. “You know me, Harry. I have my reasons for doing what I do.”_

_“That’s not what I asked.”_

_“I can’t help myself, Harry.” He left me to finish unpacking after that._

_I couldn’t really blame Sansa for yelling, though she knew as well as I did that throwing things wasn’t going to get you anywhere with Petyr. I still can’t believe he actually brought her to the house, even if he was serious about the divorce. It’s almost as if he wanted to send Sansa into a rage._

_Well things got worse after that._

_Sansa’s little sister Arya was staying with them. Normally her and Petyr got on pretty well, but whenever he was in a foul mood he took it out on poor Arya. Not that she stood for it of course. At lunch he was commenting about the way she was sitting or something._

_Then as we were having tea in the living room, Sansa was saying something about Italy when Myranda interrupted and said something about changing the curtains when she lived in the house._

_“Are you thinking of buying the house, Randa?” Sansa asked._

_Myranda rolled her eyes. “All this pretense is so ridiculous. You all know why I’m here. Petyr and I are going to be married.”_

_You should’ve seen the look the governess gave Myranda. If looks could kill Myranda Royce would’ve dropped dead right there and the whole thing would’ve been over._

_“As I suspected, Myranda, you’re completely insane.”_

_Petyr walked in a second later. “Myranda says you want to marry her, darling.” Petyr looked like he was going to kill something, but he said nothing. “Is this true?” Sansa continued. _

_“It’s true enough.” He responded. “Why couldn’t you keep your bloody mouth shut?!” He snapped at Myranda before leaving the room again. _

_Truth be told, that’s probably when Petyr first considered murder. He knew his wife better than anyone she’d never give him a divorce. He could take off with Myranda if he wanted, I suppose, but Sansa would legally stay Mrs. Baelish._

_About an hour later Sansa dragged us all over to Sandor’s for a picnic. They were all laying in the shade when Clegane cornered me._

_“Is it true?” He asked._

_“Is what true?”_

_“Don’t play with me Hardyng.”_

_“It looks like it.” Was all I could tell him._

_“He can’t do that to her.” The man was practically growling._

_Poor Sandor, I don’t know if he liked the idea of Sansa being single again or if he didn’t like the way Petyr was treating her. Though, knowing him it was probably some mixture of both._

_After the picnic, someone asked if we could see his collection of poisons. He said yes so it must’ve been Sansa or Arya who asked._

_I’ve never been one for all that sort of stuff, but he was going on about essences of this or that, after a while we went back to the big house._

_Arya and Petyr got into some big fight, something about her not wanting to go away to boarding school, I think. I don’t really remember to be perfectly honest._

_The next morning I woke up and Sansa and Petyr were at it again. I only heard bits and pieces of what they were saying, but I could guess well enough what they were on about._

_“Sansa I swear to God!”_

_“You can have all the women you like, Petyr, but you’re my husband.”_

_“I’ll just have to kill you then.” At the time I thought that was a little harsh. I never dreamed he would actually do it._

_Petyr and Myranda went for a walk in the gardens a few minutes later. As I passed Sansa in the hallway I heard her muttering_

_“It’s too cruel.”_

_I wish I’d’ve said something to her, looking back on it now._

_A short while later Sansa told me she was going back to Clegane’s. I spent the next two hours reading on the porch; Sansa came back looking a little messier than before. She headed down to the gardens after a few minutes._

_Clegane was along shortly there after and he was in a state._

_“It’s gone!” He was saying._

_“Slow down, what’s gone?”_

_“Essence of Nightshade and the Strangler, both bottles were full yesterday and now they’re nearly empty.”_

_“Okay, calm down. Are you sure?”_

_His eyes flashed. “Of course I’m sure, Hardyng! You think I would come over here if I wasn’t sure?!”_

_To be perfectly honest, I thought Sansa had taken it. I thought, if anyone was in danger it was Myranda. Clegane didn’t like that idea._

_“That little bird wouldn’t hurt a fly.” He insisted._

_We were walking in the gardens when we heard Sansa and Petyr talking._

_“You’re being so hard on her!”_

_“Calm down, you’re over reacting, I’ll see to her packing.”_

_They rounded the corner just then and Sansa said they were talking about Arya and boarding school._

_“I’m not convinced it’s the right thing.” Sansa added._

_Myranda was along a moment later and she asked Sansa if she would read through a play with her. To everyone’s surprise, Sansa agreed and Petyr said he would bring some lemonade down for them._

_Then the three of us went back up to the house, lunch rolled around and Myranda came back saying Sansa was reading the rest of the play and would be later. That didn’t surprise anyone, Sansa often missed meals to work on whatever it was at the time._

_After lunch, Petyr and the governess set off to check on Sansa. A short while later Clegane was off to._

_Myranda was sitting on the porch with me when he came back._

_“Hardyng call the police,” Weak. That’s the only word I could use to accurately describe what he was like._

_“Dear God man, what’s wrong?”_

_“It’s Sansa…she’s dead.”_

_We were both in shock, Myranda and myself that is. I wasn’t sure what sort of reaction I expected from her. I mean, Sansa was in the way of what she considered to be her happiness, but the girl looked liked she was going to be sick._

_I don’t think Myranda ever wanted Sansa hurt during all of this. Physically, I mean. She wasn’t idiotic enough to think Sansa was going to accept defeat without a fight or that this wouldn’t hurt that Sansa emotionally, but they had been friends when they were younger and I think that still meant something to Myranda._

_Anyways, we were all in a state, but after a moment Clegane went absolutely dark and said “He did it. That bastard, I know he did it.” And he went back in the direction he came, I ran in and told the housekeeper to phone the police right away and I went back after Clegane._

_When I got there, the man had his hand around Petyr’s throat. Sansa was just lying there, looking at nothing. She looked so broken._

_“Clegane, let him go. The police are coming. We’ll sort this all out when they get here.”_

_He did drop Petyr, who was wheezing._

_“You’ve killed the sweetest girl on this earth.” Clegane growled._

_“No,” Petyr insisted, there was something in his voice. I don’t know maybe it was from almost being choked, but I think he was genuinely upset at what he’d done. “S-she must’ve done it herself.”_

_“Tell that to the police.”_

_~_

_And the police didn’t believe him either. Petyr almost never gave into impulsive decisions, but I think on that morning he was angry enough that he had had enough and he killed her. Oh I think he regretted it, and I hope that’s of some consolation to little Alayne, but there’s no doubt that he did it._

_Sincerely,_

_Harold Hardyng._


	8. The Narrative of Sandor Clegane

_Sansa had been down a few days before. She was upset that Baelish had brought the Royce girl down to the house._

_“He can fuck whoever he wants,” She said. “But I don’t what his whores anywhere near Alayne.”_

_Baelish had had his affairs before. He’d be gone for a week or so, but he’d always come back and he’d never brought them to the house before. No Myranda Royce was different; we both knew that from the start._

_She was at my house almost every day till Hardyng showed up. I told her she should just leave him._

_But she wouldn’t. “That would just be giving him what he wants.” She said. She was something else, my little bird._

_A few days later they all came over for a picnic. Even the Royce girl. God she was something else, that girl. Hardyng told me she just announced she was marrying Baelish. What bloody nerve._

_I took Baelish aside and said he needed to at least send the Royce girl away._

_“Clegane, you’ve always had an unhealthy interest with the goings on at my house.” He tried to push past me, but I grabbed his arm to keep him in place._

_“Listen to me, you’re making Sansa’s life hell and I won’t stand for it.”_

_The bastard smirked. “Oh I know I am, Clegane. But your little slut isn’t exactly a saint either.” I almost broke his face in right there, but Sansa called for him._

_“Coming darling.” He smirked and left me. I don’t understand why she put up with it._

_After the picnic, Sansa asked if I would show them the lab. That’s where I kept all the poisons._

_Arya was looking around, asking what they all were and what they did. I was so focused on her Baelish could’ve pinched the stuff at any time. After about half an hour Sansa said they should get going and made to leave. Just as I was leaving Royce asked me something, I can't remember what. Baelish was out a second later and they were off.  
_

_The next day, Sansa came by in a state. She kept saying how cruel he was being. She wasn’t making much sense, so I took her mind off things for a couple of hours._

_You know what our relationship was, Tyrell. I’m not ashamed of it. I loved her and I would’ve made her happy. But she was too stubborn. That last day I asked her one last time to leave him; let him have the Royce girl. She and Alayne could move in with me._

_“Oh Sandor,” She said. “In a better world our situation would’ve been different. A world where love overcomes duty and strength…but we don’t live in that world. Petyr’s my husband and I’m his wife, whether he wants me to be or not.”_

_I watched her leave then went to the lab. I gave everything the once over and that’s when I noticed they were missing, Essence of Nightshade and The Strangler. It didn’t even occur to me that it could’ve been Baelish._

_I headed to the big house and found Hardyng on the porch. He pulled me towards to gardens so no one else would hear what we were saying._

_“Okay calm down,” He said, the man clearly didn’t understand, those were two of the most deadly poisons you could get your hands on. “Are you sure?”_

_“Of course I’m sure, Hardyng!” I cried. “You think I would come over here if I wasn’t sure!?” The man actually had the bloody nerve to suggest Sansa had taken the stuff._

_As we were heading back up to the house we heard Sansa and Baelish talking._

_“Petyr you’re being so hard on her!”_

_“Come down, love, you’re over reacting. I’ll see to her packing.”_

_They appeared a second later and Sansa immediately said they were talking about Arya and boarding school. “I’m just not convinced it’s the right thing.” Baelish gave her a warning look._

_The Royce girl was along a moment later and she asked if Sansa would read through a play with her. To my surprise, Sansa agreed. And the three of us, Baelish, Hardyng and myself, set back up to the house. Myranda was up half an hour later for lunch, saying Sansa had stayed behind to finish reading the play. She’s done it before, so no one thought anything of it._

_After we ate, Baelish said he would go check on her. The bastard, he knew she’d be dead. Lysa went down with him, saying she needed to find something of Arya’s. I headed back home shortly there after, but I ran into Lysa on the way. She was in a state._

_“Calm down woman!”_

_“She’s dead! She’s dead!” The governess was saying._

_“I don’t understand, whose dead?” I had some horrible gut feeling though, when she said it._

_“Sansa! She’s dead! Doctor, get the doctor.” I left her and went back to the house. I knew it was Baelish, the closer I got to the house the angrier I became._

_Royce and Hardyng were on the porch when I got there._

_“Hardyng, call the doctor” I somehow managed to say._

_“Dear God man, what’s wrong?” He asked._

_“Sansa…she’s dead.”_

_They both just looked at me. Hardyng looked shocked while Royce looked like she would be sick._

_After I delivered the message, I had to get back to Baelish “He did it. That bastard. I know he did it.”_

_I went back towards where I’d left her earlier. Lysa was just standing there hand over her mouth. Baelish was something else, though. He was on his knees next to her looking completely dumbfounded._

_“You killed her,” I said, walking towards him. He tried to say something, but I grabbed him by the throat. Hardyng was there a second later._

_“Clegane, let him go. The police are coming. We’ll sort this out when they get here.”_

_I hated to admit it, but he was right. The man didn’t deserve to be put out of his misery this quickly. No, he needed to be swinging at the end of a rope._

_So I dropped him. “You’ve killed the sweetest girl on this earth.” I spat at him._

_“No,” He insisted. “S-she did it herself.”_

_“Tell that to the police,” I said._

_~~_

_He tried to convince the police it had been suicide, but the evidence was too damning. He hadn’t covered his tracks well enough this time. You know how many murders he’d had a part of, Tyrell? Too many to count, including Joffery Baratheon and Ned Stark. They were in his way so he got rid of them. Then Sansa got in his way. What else could you expect from a man like that?_

_That whoremonger got what he deserved, Tyrell. He killed his wife in cold blood and the little girl needs to accept that._

_-S. Clegane_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote all the narratives after writing each interview with each suspect so the rest should be posted shortly.


	9. The Narrative of Myranda Royce

_I met Petyr Baelish at one of my father’s parties. He had them every month or so. I normally didn’t go, but that night I did. And despite the out come, I don’t regret it. I know how awful that must sound, but I don’t._

_It was getting late and the party was dwindling. That’s when I saw him for the first time. I was, I’ll admit, a little drunk. I went over to him and asked what his plans were after the party was over. He gave me what I soon learned was his signature smirk and asked what I had in mind._

_“I think you already know the answer to that.” I told him._

_He looked sort of astonished, but he said, “Let me get my coat.”_

_And off we went._

_I don’t think either of us realized that what we had was going to last longer than that night._

_We were together for a week before he invited me down to his house in the country._

_“You should know, though. I’m rather fond of my wife.”_

_“Oh? Why?”_

_“Because she’s rather adorable and I adore her.”_

_I agreed that Sansa had always been “rather adorable”. He was surprised that I knew her and even after I told him our history the invitation still stood. So I accepted._

_Sansa received me relatively pleasantly. She wasn’t happy, of course. And she kept Alayne away from me as much as she could. Though its not as if we ever said anything either of them couldn’t have overheard. Underneath it all, though, we both knew._

_After a few days he told me to go back to London._

_“Any particular reason?” I asked._

_“I can’t get you out of my head. You’re a distraction.”_

_I said very well and I left the next morning._

_He came back after ten days._

_“What are you going to tell Sansa?” I asked._

_“Nothing yet. There are still things I need to wrap up with her.”_

_“But you_ will _tell her?”_

_“She’s going to make a terrible fuss.”_

_“Petyr.” I said warningly._

_He chuckled softly. “Yes, I’ll tell her.” He sighed. “Poor Sansa, she really loves me…”_

_“If she really loves you, she’ll put your happiness first.” I kissed him then and there was no more talk of Sansa for several hours._

_He took me back down to the house the next day and Sansa was even colder than she had been before. I think she knew something was different this time._

_About a week or so later, Harold Hardyng joined us._

_Sansa and Petyr were going at it (I believe she threw a vase at his head) and was heading down the stairs when I first met him. He was pleasant enough to me, but I don’t think he really approved._

_At lunch Petyr was rather rude to Sansa’s little sister. He did that whenever he was in a foul mood._

_Arya Stark really didn’t like me. I can’t really blame her. She knew what I was to her brother-in-law. She would ask me every now and then when I was leaving. I simply answered with “I don’t know”._

_A little while later we were having tea in the living room, it was Sansa, Harold, that horrible governess, and me. Sansa was saying she and Petyr wanted to take Alayne to Italy the following summer and something just snapped inside me. It wasn’t fair to let the poor woman go on thinking this would all blow over._

_So I told her. I said, “All this pretense is ridiculous. Petyr and I are going to be married, so I shall be moving in.”_

_Sansa just stared at me and said, “As I suspected, you’re completely insane.” Her denying it didn’t bother me nearly as much as the look Lysa Arryn was giving me. She looked as if she wanted to tear my head off. Though, now that I think about it, I remember hearing somewhere she fancied herself in love with Petyr. The old bat, maybe that’s why._

_Petyr was along a moment later and Sansa asked him if it was true._

_He twitched a little but he finally said, “It’s true enough.” Then he turned on me and snarled, “Why couldn’t you keep your bloody mouth shut?” I just rolled my eyes. Honesty is the best policy. He should’ve told her himself._

_We went over to Sandor Clegane’s after that, for a little picnic. It was a very lovely day and Sansa seemed to have pulled herself together, she was acting as if nothing had happened._

_After we ate, Sansa asked if we could see Sandor’s lab. That man was so in love with her, she could’ve asked for a falling star and he would try and deliver. She seemed fond enough of him; she should’ve let Petyr go without a fight and gone off with Sandor. Even if the thought crossed her mind, it was about pride to her at that point. She wasn’t going to lose this fight._

_Sandor told us about all the different poisons he had. Arya took a particular interest. Petyr glanced around a little, but Harold seemed bored out of his mind. We left after about half an hour._

_When we got back, Arya and Petyr fought again. He was insisting on boarding school while Arya was refusing. She threw something at him and ran out._

_Dinner was, luckily, a very quiet affair._

_The next morning I was out on the back porch reading and I could hear Petyr and Sansa having a row in his office._

_“Sansa I swear to God! I’m going to marry Myranda whether you like it or not!_

_“You can fuck all the women you like, Petyr, but you’re my husband.”_

_“I’ll just have to kill you then.”_

_There was something about the way he said it that sent a chill through my spine._

_He was out a minute later and asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I said yes, but first I went upstairs to get my shoes. It was then that I remembered I had a play I wanted to read through with Sansa._

_I suppose you’re wondering why I would bother reading a play with the wife of the man I loved, but if you ever saw Sansa Stark on the stage, Mr. Tyrell, you would understand. She was absolutely magnificent. And I knew she would read with me because no matter what she felt towards me, theatre was more important. Though I do like to think that a part of her still wanted to act with me again. We had been in our first professional show together, after all._

_When Petyr and I got back from our walk, Sansa wasn’t there. I lounged for a bit before heading down to look for her in the gardens. I found her with Petyr, Harold and Sandor. She agreed to read with me, for which I was rather grateful. She complained of being thirsty and Petyr said he would send down some lemonade for her. The three of them headed back to the house while Sansa and I got comfortable in the shade. Petyr was back a few minutes later with her lemonade, he asked if I wanted anything, but I said I was fine. I had no idea that he had just poisoned his unsuspecting wife. Poor Sansa. She must’ve known it was him. If she felt anything at all, that is. I don’t know much about poisons, but I think there are some that just put you to sleep. Well a permanent sleep, but it’s painless. I would hope that’s what he gave her._

_We read for a little while before it was lunchtime, Sansa said she would be up later, she wanted to finish reading the play. I shrugged and went back to the house. I just left her to die by herself… Sometimes I wish I’d insisted she come up and eat with us. But then again, would it really have been better for her to drop dead in front of her daughter? I hope that hadn’t been Petyr’s intent in the first place…._

_After lunch, Petyr went to fetch Sansa. He was so calm, but he must’ve known that she would be dead. Lysa went with him, claiming to be looking for something of Arya’s. Sandor left a few minutes later, but he was back shortly there after._

_“Hardyng, call the police.” The poor man looked so broken._

_“Dear God man, what’s wrong?” Harold asked._

_“Sansa…she’s dead.”_

_I felt absolutely ill. Not only because I knew Petyr had done it, but I’d been through so much with that girl. She couldn’t be gone, just like that. She just couldn’t be... I had to see her. I know how morbid that must sound, but I just needed to._

_Sandor had gone back after delivering his message and Harold had run after him, afraid he would do something stupid I suppose._

_When I got there Petyr was saying, “She did it herself.”_

_Of all the things he could’ve said… He had to have known how ridiculous that sounded. Maybe he felt sorry for what he had done. Then again this_ is _Petyr Baelish we’re talking about. I just can’t fathom him feeling guilty about anything._

_“Tell that to the police.” Sandor spat._

_~~_

_I’ve often wondered that if Petyr had gotten off, would I still have married him. To be quite honest, Mr. Tyrell, I think I would’ve. I must sound rather horrible to you, but I loved him. Nothing makes sense when you’re in love._

_I wish he hadn’t done it. Not just for my sake, or Sansa’s sake, but for Alayne’s sake. It must be awful for her, knowing her is a murderer. I suppose that’s why she has you on this wild goose chase. And I applaud you for trying to put her mind to rest, but we all must face the truth at some point, Mr. Tyrell._

_And I’m afraid the truth Alayne Baelish must face is that her father_ did _kill her mother._

_Yours,_

_Myranda Royce_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing Myranda's narrative.


	10. The Narrative of Lysa Arryn

_I’d been working as Arya’s governess for about six months when Petyr started to see Myranda Royce. She came down to the house, shortly after the affair began. She was there for a few days before she left. She came back about ten days later._

_Shortly after that, Harold Hardyng came for a visit. Now he was a nice boy, he’s the sort of man Sansa should’ve married. If the girl had any sense she would’ve. But no, she had to string poor Petyr along just like her mother died. Absolutely disgusting the way the daughter took after the mother._

_Anyway, the afternoon Harold came was the afternoon Myranda announced she was going to marry Petyr. He even claimed it was “true enough”. Though he would never actually go through with marrying_ another _whore._

_After that little incident they all went to have a picnic at Sandor Clegane’s house. They came back around about an hour or so later. That night after dinner, Arya and Petyr got into a nasty argument._

_“I don’t want to go away!” Arya cried._

_“It’s already all paid for, you’re going.” Petyr insisted._

_“Why do you want to get rid of me?”_

_“No body wants to get rid of you Arya.” Sansa stepped in, pulling her sister into a hug. “You know we all love you.”_

_“He doesn’t!” Arya pulled away. “He’d be glad to never see me again!”_

_“Too true,” Petyr said. “Always screaming like a fishwife.”_

_“And you’d know all about them wouldn’t you!”_

_“Arya!” Sansa scolded, but the younger girl wasn’t listening._

_“I wish you were dead!” And she threw a paperweight at him. She missed and ran off._

_I followed her told her what a nasty thing that had been._

_The next day I had Arya reading all morning until she ran off to play outside. Normally I would’ve chased after her, but it was such a lovely day I decided not to._

_Everyone seemed to have disappeared for a little while, but Alayne was still running about the house playing some sort of game with herself. Petyr appeared a little while later and he went upstairs. He came back down a moment later with a worried look on his face. “It’s gone, it’s gone.” He was saying._

_“What’s gone?” I asked, he jumped a mile, as he hadn’t seen me._

_“Nothing, nothing,” He was quick to say. “I’ve got to go fetch Sansa some lemonade.” And he headed off towards the kitchen._

_About an hour later it was time for lunch and everyone but Sansa joined us. Myranda said she was reading a play and would be up later. That foolish girl. Nothing else matter to her, but the theatre. She would’ve given up her own daughter if it interfered with her career._

_After lunch, Petyr went down to fetch Sansa. I went with him because Arya had left he jacket lying around in the gardens somewhere and, of course, couldn’t be bothered to go get it herself._

_We had just turned the corner when we found her. At first glance, I thought she had maybe just fallen asleep._

_Petyr played the part of a distressed husband rather well._

_“Sansa? Sansa!? Oh my God.” He turned to me and told me to go call the police. I headed back towards the house, but I ran into Sandor Clegane on the way and told him to finish the errand. I went back to Petyr and that’s when I saw him cleaning off the lemonade glass. I’d never seen him so unkempt. He was in an absolute panic. He grabbed the dead girls hand and tried to make a handprint with it. Then he set it back down by her and just looked at the body. It looked as if he might actually care she was gone._

_Sandor Clegane and Myranda Royce came down and Clegane tried to strangle Petyr._

_“You killed her!” He cried. I tried to get him to let Petyr go, but he was too strong._

_Harold Hardyng appeared a moment later, thank God._

_“Let him go, Clegane. The police will be here and we’ll sort this all out then.”_

_The madman listened to Harold and dropped Petyr._

_“You’ve killed the sweetest girl on this earth.” He said. I almost laughed at the absurdity of the statement._

_“No…s-she did it herself.” Petyr was very insistent on that point. He was such a fool, he could’ve easily blamed it on any of the others, but no. Suicide. That was his story._

_“Tell that to the police.” Clegane growled._

_~~_

_Of course the police knew it was murder. I knew Petyr had arranged to have people killed before. After hearing that you must think that he deserved what he got even if he didn’t kill Sansa, Mr. Tyrell, but everyone he had killed was a monster. Just think about that Baratheon boy. Horrible._

_Sansa Stark may not have been a monster, but she was not the saint Sandor Clegane would have you believe. She was a little whore who deserved what she got._

_Sincerely,_

_Lysa Tully Arryn_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay Lysa is also really fun to write.


	11. The Narrative of Arya Stark

_It had been a rather nice summer, up until that woman came along. I didn’t like her at all. At first I didn’t realize what she was doing there, I figured it out one afternoon when I saw them kissing in the gardens. I flew into a rage and ran back up to the house. I told Sansa what I’d seen and she said to just forget about it._

_“Why?” I insisted. “He’s_ your _husband. Not hers.”_

_Sansa just gave me a sad smile and said, “She’s like the others, Arya. They don’t really mean anything to him.”_

_Two days later I slipped the slug down his shirt._

_Harold Hardyng came to stay with us. I didn’t mind, I’d always liked him. Sometimes he brought presents for Alayne and me, this time he hadn’t._

_They were all having tea in the living room when Myranda had the nerve to announce that she was going to marry Petyr. I was on the back porch, so I didn’t hear the whole conversation. Petyr came out a few seconds later and I asked him if it was true._

_“Is what true?” He said, clearly in a foul mood._

_“That you’re going to marry Myranda.”_

_“Mind your own bloody business.” He said, I tried to get an answer out of him, but Harold pulled me away lest I make Petyr angrier than he already was._

_On our way over to Sandor Clegane’s I asked Sansa if it was true._

_She simple said “Only after I’m dead.” At the time I was satisfied with that answer._

_After our picnic at Clegane’s, Sansa asked to see his lab. He never denied her anything so we were there for about half an hour._

_“I think it’s time to head back,” Sansa said after a little while._

_She got up and I followed her out. Harold Hardyng was impatiently tapping his foot as Myranda said something to Clegane in the doorway. Petyr was the last one out, that’s when he supposedly nicked the poison._

_After dinner Petyr and I had a miserable fight. He’d off handedly said something about sending me away to school, to which I yelled_

_“I don’t want to go away!”_

_“It’s all ready paid for, you’re going.” He sounded bored and that only made me angrier._

_“Why do you want to get rid of me?!”_

_“No body wants to get rid of you,” Sansa stepped in. She was trying to calm me down, but it didn’t do much good. “You know how much we all love you.”_

_“He doesn’t! He’d be glad if he never saw me again!”_

_Petyr was growing irritated. “Too true! Always screaming like a fishwife, you are.”_

_“Oh and you’d know all about them wouldn’t you!”_

_“Arya!” Sansa scolded._

_I threw a paperweight at his head, but missed by a mile before running off. Lysa was after me and told me how horrible I’d been. I told her shut up._

_Later that night I was wandering around considering trying to catch a cockroach and put in Petyr’s bed. That’s when I saw Sansa go into Harold’s room._

_“What an pleasant surprise,” Harold said, there was something in his tone that I didn’t like._

_“Don’t touch me, Harry.” Sansa snapped._

_“Now that’s not what you said-“_

_“I’m telling him.” She said with such finality it took Harold another few seconds to respond._

_“You can’t do that.” His voice sounded shaky. “Think of the damage-“_

_“He doesn’t care about Sandor. Why on earth would he care_ you? _”_

_“If you do this, Sansa. I’ll make you regret it.”_

_“Don’t threaten me, Harold. I’m telling him tomorrow and nothing you do will stop me.”_

_I saw the doorknob turn and I made a dash for my room before I could hear anymore._

_I spent the next day avoiding Lysa. I didn’t want another lecture about how I was abusing poor Petyr. I spent a couple uneventful hours in the gardens with Alayne before we headed back up to the house. She said she wanted to go find her father so I let her go and went to find my book._

_Maybe an hour later, I set off to find Alayne again. The housekeeper said she’d seen her go down to the kitchens a while ago so I looked there first. She was there pretending to cook. I watched her for a little bit before she noticed and invited me to join her. I did and we played for a few minutes before Petyr came along. He seemed to be looking for something._

_“Papa look what I found!” Alayne picked something up and ran over to her father to so him. He picked her up and she handed him whatever it was._

_“I’m afraid, my dear, you can’t keep these.”_

_“Aw, why not?” She stuck out her bottom lip and Petyr chuckled._

_“Because I don’t want you playing with glass.” He kissed her cheek and set her down before disappearing again._

_I left Alayne after a little bit and went onto the porch to read. That’s when Sandor Clegane came racing up to the house._

_“Sansa’s dead.” He said._

_I couldn’t believe it. The rest of my family was already dead, Sansa couldn’t be…she just couldn’t be._

_It wasn’t until they brought the body up to the house that it hit me. My sister was dead. I was the only Stark left._

_Alayne was sitting next to me when they brought Sansa to the house._

_She didn’t fully realize what had happened. I just held her hand and told her it was going to be all right._

_Petyr was along a moment later. I’d never seen him broken. It was heartbreaking. I’m telling you, Mr. Tyrell, he really loved her._

_“Papa, what’s happening?” Alayne asked him quietly._

_He looked at her as if the whole world was coming to an end._

_“What’s happening is,” He knelt down next to her. “You and Arya are going to stay with Mrs. Waynwood for a little while okay?”_

_Alayne frowned. “I don’t want to go Papa, I want to stay her with you and Mama.” Petyr looked like he might cry._

_“It’ll be an adventure, Alayne.” I offered. Petyr seemed grateful and he gave Alayne a kiss on the forehead before going to call a taxi for us. He told us to pack up right away. I thought it was odd at the time, but now I suppose he wanted us away before the police came. We were off within the next two hours._

_~~_

_I will say again. Petyr Baelish did not kill my sister. I think it was Harold Hardyng, but any of those other vultures could’ve done it. I only hope you discover the truth and this matter could finally be set to rest._

_Yours truly,_

_Arya Stark_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have all the facts. Who do you think did it?  
> I have to say, of all of the narratives I think Arya's is my favorite.   
> I'll try to write the next chapter tonight, but if not you'll just have to wait till tomorrow.


	12. All Is Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we go...

“Are you sure this is a good plan?” Lily asked as the car raced down the dirt road.

“Nope.” Willas replied honestly. “But I know they’ll all come. They’re all chomping at the bit to see what I’ve come up with.”

With Alayne’s permission Willas had invited all the suspects back to what had formerly been the Baelish home.

Lily was the only one who knew what he had discovered. He had considered telling Alayne, but he decided it was best if he told them all at once. This had certainly been one of his more interesting cases.

Not to mention one of his more difficult ones, but Willas was pleased to say that he _had_ solved it. Even if it had yet to be confirmed, and perhaps never would be, he knew he was right. After telling Lily what he believed to be the truth he ran every other possible scenario by her to make sure he had missed nothing.

He hadn’t.

“Isn’t this a little dangerous?” Lily asked. “I mean, we’re going to a secluded location with a known killer.”

“Perhaps, but I don’t think the killer is the one we have to worry about.”

“You think Alayne might try something?” Concern spread over Lily’s face.

Willas shrugged. “She’s the daughter of Petyr Baelish and Sansa Stark, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

“But you wouldn’t let her-I mean-“

“I don’t really believe she’ll do anything. If I were her, I’d rather have my parents murderer put on display for the whole world.”

Lily seemed satisfied with his answer and she relaxed for the remainder of the drive.

About fifteen minutes later they reached the old house. It was rather large, but it was a far cry from being a mansion. In truth, it looked more like a giant cottage. There were vines growing all over the walls, and it clearly hadn’t been lived it for years, but Willas had been assured that the place would not collapse on them.

Inside there was a thick layer of dust everywhere and all of the furniture was covered by a white sheet. There was a sound from upstairs and the pair turned to see Alayne at the balcony.

“Hello, Mr. Tyrell, Miss Redwyne. I got here a little early, I wanted to look around a little.”

“Of course, Miss Baelish. This is your home now after all.”

The girl smiled and started to descend the stairs. “Call me Alayne... After all you’ve done for me, I think you’ve earned the right.”

Lily excused herself, saying she was going to see if she could make the living room more comfortable.

“I know you won’t tell me who did it, but,” She stopped on the last step so she towered over him. “You promise me that my father is innocent?”

Willas gave the girl a sad smile. “Yes, Miss Baelish-“

“Alayne.” She insisted

“Yes, _Alayne,_ your father is innocent.”

~~

It took a full hour for everyone to get there. Sandor Clegane was the first to arrive, followed shortly there after by Harold Hardyng and Arya Stark. Lysa Arryn came next.

“You look just like your mother,” Clegane said to Alayne. Willas swore if the daughter took after the mother in her taste in men, he would commit himself.

“Thank you, Mr. Clegane. Though I’m told I have my father’s nose.”

Arya laughed. “And suspect his wit as well. Hello, Alayne. I don’t suppose you remember me.”

Alayne offered her relative a sincere smile. “Of course I do, Aunt Arya. My memory’s a little fuzzy, but I do remember you.”

“What are we waiting for?” Lysa asked impatiently.

“Myranda Royce,” Willas said. The four suspects shifted uncomfortably at the name.

As if on cue, the woman herself entered the house. “This place really has gone to the dogs.” She said.

“Sixteen years of not being lived in will do that.” Arya practically spat.

“Can we get on with this?” Harold said, clearly irritated.

“Of course,” Willas motioned for them all to go into the living room. Lily had thrown a couple drinks together (the girl really was a miracle worker) and she offered it to each guest. They all took her up on the offer.

Once they were all seated Willas began.

“Sansa Stark was murdered, supposedly by her husband so he could marry Miss Royce. Open and shut case…Until Miss Baelish came to me, sixteen years later, declaring she believed her father was innocent. And so, I set out to discover the truth.”

“We all know the truth, Mr. Tyrell.” Sandor Clegane spoke up.

Willas’ eyes narrowed. “Sometimes things are not always as they seem, Mr. Clegane. Let me tell you what I learned.

To start, Petyr Baelish never protested his innocence once, except in a letter to his daughter. And in the eyes of everyone, with one most notably exception,” Willas motioned to Arya. “He was guilty.”

“He _was_ guilty.” Clegane insisted.

“If I wanted to really examine this case,” Willas went on as if the man had not spoken. “I had to look at it, as Miss Stark here told me, from ‘a different point of view’.

Yes Mr. Baelish had the motive and the opportunity to kill his wife. Yes he admitted to stealing the poison, yes he was overheard to be arguing with his wife, in which he threatened to kill her. All this, we know to be true.

But now, lets start with something that does not quite match up with these facts. Shortly after having a row with each other, Sansa and Petyr Baelish were overheard to be speaking of sending Arya away. Is this not a little odd? He has just threatened to kill her, but a little while later they are speaking of a relatively trial matter, in which, Mr. Baelish says he will see to Arya’s packing. Why would Mr. Baelish see to Arya’s packing? There was the governess, the housekeeper or even her sister, to do so. Petyr Baelish does not strike me as the sort of person who would undertake such a task. Another thing, having just threatened to kill his wife, he offers to bring her lemonade. Yes, of course, you’re all thinking, ‘well that’s how he poisoned her’, but Mr. Baelish was an intelligent man was he not? Poisoning the lemonade that everyone knew he was bringing to her does not seem like a move an intelligent man would make.”

“We know all this,” Lysa said in a bored tone.

“Yes, I know you do. But now, if I may, Mrs. Arryn, I will offer information that is new.”

Lysa nodded slowly and Willas continued. “After Mr. Baelish and Mrs. Arryn found the body of his wife, she went back to the house to get help. She ran into Mr. Clegane and he delivered her message, she goes back to the spot and what does she see? She sees Mr. Baelish wiping his wife’s glass clean of fingerprints, then attempting to apply new ones with her limp hand.”

Everyone looked at Lysa in shock.

“You actually _saw_ him do that?” Myranda asked.

“That settles it!” Clegane declared.

“No, not necessarily,” Willas said.

“That’s what I saw.” Lysa responded.

“There’s only your word for it!” Arya snarled.

“How dare you! I’m not a liar!”

“I believe Mrs. Arryn is telling the truth... And because of what she saw. I know Petyr Baelish was not guilty.”

All eyes were all on Willas now, nothing less than astonishment on everyone’s, save Arya’s, face. The only Stark was looking rather triumphant.

“How in the hell did you work that out?!” Clegane spat.

“Oh for God’s sake, calm down.” Harold said.

“Petyr Baelish knew how to kill someone so that there would be not one shred of evidence leading back to him. And yet, here he has given his wife a poisoned glass in front of witnesses, here he is wiping off the glass in the middle of the garden where anyone could see. No, this man is much too smart for that.”

“So why make it look like suicide then?” Myranda asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Because he knew who was the culprit. And he would do anything rather than see that person be caught. There is only one person, Petyr Baelish would protect at all costs.”

Everyone’s eyes immediately flew to Arya.

“What are you all looking at me for?” She cried. “I didn’t do it! I would never-she was my _sister!”_

“Miss Stark-“

“No!” Arya sprung to her feet. “I will not sit hear and listen to this!”

“Please, Miss Stark, let him finish.” Lily said. Arya stopped shouting, but did not retake her seat.

“As I was saying, Miss Stark.” Willas began again. “You say you saw Mr. Baelish take something away from his daughter saying ‘I don’t want you playing with glass’, correct?”

Arya nodded and slowly sunk back into her seat.

“Mrs. Arryn, earlier you had seen Mr. Baelish coming from his room saying ‘It’s gone, it’s gone’, yes?”

“Correct.” Lysa confirmed.

“Now, think about this from Mr. Baelish’s point of view. He _did_ take the poison and he _had_ stashed it in his room. Now he goes upstairs for whatever reason and finds it is gone.”

~~

_The drawer to his desk was wide open and the poison was gone. Petyr started to panic. Damn it all to hell, he’d gone to the trouble of stealing the poison and now someone else had stolen it from him. Damn it all. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath before exiting his room._

_“It’s gone, it’s gone,” He muttered as he descended the stairs._

_“What’s gone?” Lysa asked._

_Petyr jumped a mile, he hadn’t seen her. “Nothing,” He said quickly. “I need to go get lemonade for Sansa.” He disappeared into the kitchen and found Alayne pouring a glass of lemonade. All previous worries vanished as soon as he set eyes on his daughter._

_“Is that for you?” He asked._

_Alayne shook her head. “I was going to bring it to Mama! I helped make it!”_

_Petyr grinned. “Did you now?” His daughter nodded and he took the glass from her. “How about I take this down to your mother and you make me a glass?”_

_The little girl heartily agreed and Petyr set off towards the gardens._

_~~_

_Later he returned to find Arya and Alayne in the kitchen. Alayne doing just as he asked._

_“Is my lemonade almost ready?”_

_Alayne ran up to her father, a small empty bottle in hand. “Papa look what I found!”_

_Petyr scooped his daughter into his arms and took the bottle._

_“My dear, I’m afraid you can’t keep these.”_

_The little girl pouted. “Why not?”_

_“Because,” He said, kissing her cheek. “I don’t want you playing with glass.” He set her down and slipped the tiny bottle into his pocket._

_“Fine…did Mama like my lemonade?”_

_He smiled, “She loved it.”_

_~~_

_This couldn’t be happening. Sansa just couldn’t be-_

_“Lysa go call the police.” He heard the woman dash off._

_“Please Sansa, you can’t leave me.” Petyr leaned over and felt her pulse. Nothing. As he knelt next to his dead wife he felt something dig into his skin. Tears threatened to fall as he reached into his pocket._

_In his hand was a tiny bottle._

_The tears disappeared and a sense of dread filled him. His eyes flew to the glass that was lying not far from her hand._

Dear God no _was all he could think._

_~~_

All eyes were on Alayne now.

“Y-you’re saying…it was…oh my God…” Alayne broke down in tears. Arya rushed over to her niece to try and comfort her.

“You can’t be serious, Tyrell.” Harold scoffed. “She was just a child.”

“Exactly,” Willas said simply. “And though I’m sure Mr. Baelish knew it would be deemed as an accident, why would he want his daughter going through life knowing she killed her mother, accident or no?” Arya was trying her best to sooth the sobbing Alayne, to little avail. “No he wouldn’t allow her to live that way, so he decides to take the blame himself. Knowing that the suicide claim wouldn’t hold. For there were only two people in this world Petyr Baelish would die to protect. His now dead wife and his five-year-old child.”

Everything was silent for several moments until Myranda Royce uttered, “Good God.”

“You brought us all here to tell us a child murdered her mother?” Lysa snapped, causing Alayne to let out another sob.

“No.” Willas said. “I brought you all here to tell you that is what Petyr Baelish believed.”

Arya’s grip on Alayne loosened and the younger woman looked up at him. “So I didn’t…” She said quietly, hope filling her eyes.

“No, Alayne, you didn’t.”

The girl let out a cry of relief while Arya was glaring at him.

“You bastard! How could you-“

“Aunt Arya it’s all right,” Alayne wiped her eyes. “He’s just doing what I asked.”

“Well if Alayne didn’t do it who did?” Demanded Clegane.

Willas took a moment before speaking. “Mr. Hardyng, would you answer a question for me please?”

Harold gave him an odd look, but nodded.

“The night before she was killed, Sansa Stark was seen going into your room.” Clegane’s eyes flashed with rage. “And it was overheard that you were blackmailing her. Would you care to elaborate on this?”

“You bloody-“ Clegane started, but Harold interrupted.

“I didn’t kill her dammit!”

“I never said you did,” Willas shrugged. “Were you or were you not blackmailing Mrs. Baelish?”

“Oh all right,” Harold caved after a moment. “We’d had an affair a year or so after they’d been married. Petyr was basically running my company for me by then and I was afraid if he found out he would pull the plug and it would all fall apart… That doesn’t mean I killed her!” He was quick to add.

“How else were you planning to keep her mouth shut?” Willas raised an eyebrow.

“I hadn’t figured that out yet!” Harold insisted. “Please, you have to believe me!”

“I do, Mr. Hardyng,” Willas assured. “I know you did not kill Sansa Stark.”

“Don’t you think you’re milking this a bit,” Lysa said in irritation.

Willas shrugged, but continued. “It’s the oldest story in the world. One man and two women. What we have taken for granted is that Mr. Baelish was planning on leaving his wife for the other woman. But now I suggest that he had no intention of doing so. In the past, he got what he wanted from the women he seduced, whether it was information, sex or both, and they expected nothing in return. This time, however, it was different. This time, she fell in love with him and she believed he was in love with her. And so of course he would leave his wife for her.”

Willas had come to stand right over Myranda. She didn’t move to look at him, she just stared forward. “He said he would.”

“Mr. Baelish was a liar, Miss Royce. He would have no qualms about telling you what you wanted to hear. All he needed from you was information that you had, or could get easily, about your father, the politician. When you told Sansa he was planning on leaving her, Mr. Baelish was furious. But he decided to let her believe it till he could finish with you.” Myranda clenched her jaw but said nothing. “Once that happened, he would tell Sansa the truth and it would all be over. However, that last night, I think he was worried Sansa was taking things more seriously than she had before. So by the next morning he decided to tell her the truth.”

~~

_“Sansa can I borrow you for a moment?” Petyr asked. His wife got up from her seat to follow him into his office._

_“What do you want?” She practically spat._

_“I want you to understand-“_

_“I won’t give you a divorce, Petyr-“_

_“Let me fin-“_

_“No! I won’t-“ Petyr grabbed Sansa by her shoulders._

_“Listen to me,” She tried to fight him, but he only tightened his grip. “You’re the only woman in my life, Sana. You_ know _that. You always were you always will be.”_

_Sansa’s eyes softened for a moment before they hardened again. “What about Myranda?”_

_“Her father is a key part of bringing down the Boltons. Isn’t that what you want?” The girl nodded, eyes downcast. “Once I have him secured, I’ll send her away.”_

_Sansa met his gaze. “How close are you to having him in your pocket?”_

_“I’m almost there, I just need another week or two.”_

_“You promise?_

_“I promise.”_

_Suddenly Sansa threw her arms around him and kissed him hard, her fingers threading through his hair, before pulling away._

_“You can fuck all the women you like, Petyr,” She murmured against his lips. “Just remember you’re_ my _husband.”_

_“I might just have to kill you then.” He said before he tangled his fingers into her hair and pulled her back into a kiss._

_~~_

 

“What neither Baelish realized was that Myranda Royce had heard every word.”

“You’re rather sure of yourself, Mr. Tyrell.” Myranda said, eyes still refusing to meet anyone’s gaze.

“Yes, Miss Royce, I am.” He responded to her before continuing. “When Mr. Baelish asked you to go for a walk you agreed, but first you went upstairs to get your shoes. Before getting them however, you slipped into his room where you knew the poisons would be. The day before you had been standing in the doorway talking to Mr. Clegane and you were the only person who could have possibly seen Mr. Baelish take the poisons. You worked quickly, you used an eyedropper to take out one and mix it with the other. Leaving one empty bottle. However, in your haste you must not have closed the drawer entirely and later this is what drew Alayne Baelish’s eye to the desk in the first place. So she found the empty bottle and took it.

However, at the same time, Sansa Baelish was passing Mr. Hardyng muttering “it’s too cruel”, she felt sorry for you. One wonders what she would’ve thought if she knew you were planning to murder her at the same time. You went on your walk with Mr. Baelish, but returned a short time later and Sansa took the opportunity to try and defend you to her husband. This is what Mr. Clegane and Mr. Hardyng over heard in the gardens. You then went to read through a play with Sansa Stark. When Mr. Baelish brought his wife a drink you saw the opportunity. It would have been easy enough to get the drink away from Miss Stark for a couple of seconds, knowing how engrossed she could get in a play. So you read through the play with Miss Stark and watched as her body slowly turned on her.”

~~

_Sansa opened her mouth to say her line, but found she couldn’t._

_“Are you all right dear?” Myranda asked._

_Sansa began to wheeze and reached to grasp the other girl’s hand. Myranda lightly pushed her away. “That’ll be the Strangler setting in just about now.”_

_Sansa’s eyes widened in horror as she fell over in pain, unable to scream or do anything but grasp for air._

_“Don’t worry though, it’s mixed with nightshade, you should pass out any moment before the really painful part begins. You’re lucky we’re old friends or I wouldn’t even have given you that.” Myranda flipped the dying girl over so she was lying down on her back._

_“And when the police get here, it’ll be your precious husband they arrest.” She leaned in closer. “I thought I told you all those years ago Sansa, never cross me.” She sighed sadly and Sansa’s eyesight began to blacken. “I told Petyr the same thing. If only you Baelishs’ would’ve listened.”_

_Sansa wheezed one last time before the world went back._

_~~_

“Before going back up to the house, you crushed the eyedropper and the small bottle with your foot, not far from the body. The traces of which the police found later. And then you went to lunch.” There was a trace of disgust in Willas’ voice. “Leaving Sansa Baelish to her fate.”

His words hung in the air for a few moments.

“Thank you, Mr. Tyrell.” Alayne said shakily before exiting the room. Arya and Lysa followed closely behind.

“Sansa dead…Petyr hanged…” Harold was staring daggers at Myranda, who still sat cross-legged in her seat. “How could you?“

“It’s like I told both of them, Mr. Hardyng.” This time she met his gaze dead on. “You never cross a Royce.”

“Listen to me, you heartless bitch-“ Clegane started, but Harold clamped a hand on his shoulder.

“She’s not worth it, Clegane.” He growled, then pulled the other man towards the door. Leaving Willas alone with Myranda.

“I hope you don’t expect me to confess,” Myranda said after a moment.

“No, I don’t expect you to.” He replied quietly.

“Then what are you going to do?” For a brief moment she sounded like a frightened child.

“I will do what I can to get Mr. Baelish a posthumous free pardon. As for you, I will lay my conclusions before the necessary people. Half of them will jump at the chance to arrest the daughter of a politician, the other half will protest. I will hope and pray that the former will succeed. If they do decide there is a case against you, they _will_ act.”

Myranda was silent for a moment. “I did love him, Mr. Tyrell.” She said quietly. “I would’ve made him happy, if he had let me.” Myranda’s gaze turned to pure venom. “But _no_ he was just stringing me along. And to make it worse he was doing _for her._ I thought that if shewas out of the way-“ Myranda stopped herself. “Just as I put the drops in her drink I realized what would happen. He would be arrested. For a split second I considered just throwing it away. But then I decided no. They had used me and humiliated me far too much to let it slide…I never felt more alive than in those few weeks. Watching Sansa die, and then watching the trial.” The girl’s eyes were practically glowing. “Watching his name being dragged through the mud as the whole world thought he killed his _precious Sansa_.” And then suddenly the glow was gone. As if someone has just snuffed out a candle. “But then he was gone. It wasn’t until then that I realized what I had done. I had killed both of them, but more than that I let them get away. I gave them an eternity together, while I was still here.” She looked like a lost child. “It felt as if they hadn’t died…but I had.” Myranda stood and gave him a stony look. “I died, Mr. Tyrell.” Then she walked out of the room. Willas slowly followed her.

Everyone watched as Myranda Royce made her way to the door, when-

“Myranda,”

The older woman turned and found Alayne aiming a small gun at her. Nobody moved, nobody breathed.

“Go on then, shoot me…I know you want to.”

“Alayne, don’t listen to her.” Willas said.

“Come on, Alayne. It’s just one little squeeze.”

“If you do this, she will have won.”

“You’re not afraid are you?” Myranda tried to taunt, but she was shaking. “I killed both your parents, Alayne. _Shoot me.”_

“If you let her go, justice can still be done.” Willas was tempted to try and grab the gun, but for one he knew it could go off and hit an unintended target. And on top of that, it had to be Alayne’s decision. This was her parents murderer, no one would blame her for killing the woman. Hell this group might even protect her. But Alayne would never forgive herself. She would never get to see her father pardoned as she had wanted. No, it _had_ to be Alayne’s decision alone.

“ _Just pull the trigger.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope you enjoy cliffhangers. 
> 
> I was going to cut this chapter in half, but then I decided not to. You're welcome. 
> 
> I hope you liked the flashbacks, I thought it would make it more enjoyable than Willas just explaining everything, plus I like the way they cut back and forth in the Poirot episode during his conclusion speech so I thought I'd incorporate that (plus I really wanted to write some Petyr/Sansa that wasn't them screaming at each other).
> 
> In other news, I'm considering doing a Willas Tyrell detective series that will be based on various Agatha Christie's/other detective stories I know (because I'm not great at creating my own murder mysterious). Let me know what you think of that- if you like the idea and have a particular story you'd like me to adapt I will take it into consideration. 
> 
> Thank you for reading


	13. Conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, sweet and to the point...

_“Just pull the trigger!”_

God how she wanted to. This was the woman who had robbed her of her family. She’d turned a little girl’s whole world upside down out of jealousy. Alayne could not remember hating anyone more.

Her finger hovered on the trigger.

She had never really known her parents and, though she knew they wouldn’t blame her, Alayne knew this was not what they would do were they in her position. No, her mother would want to watch Myranda suffer and her father would want her to watch as her world disappeared around her. And Alayne was truly her parents’ daughter.

Slowly she lowered the gun.

Myranda looked down defeated before making her exit. Everyone else seemed to let out the breath they’d been holding

“You made the right choice, Alayne.” Willas said quietly.

The girl took a deep breath. “It’s only the right choice if she hangs.”

Alayne ducked back into the living room and Lily took the cue to see the four remaining guests out.

Willas followed Alayne into the living room and found her facing the open window.

“If she doesn’t hang,” She started, not turning around. “You won’t stop me will you?”

Willas sighed. “No, Alayne, I won’t.”

“I know you don’t want me to,” Now she did turn to face him. “But I think my parents would approve, don’t you?”

Willas silently agreed that they would. Out loud he said “You’re parents were not the greatest role models.”

Alayne gave a small shrug. “Perhaps not, but they were my parents.”

“What are you going to do with this place?” The detective asked after a few moments of silence.

The girl considered for a moment. “I think I’ll fix it up a bit and make it my vacation house. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll rent it to someone.”

Willas smiled. “Keep in touch will you?”

Alayne raised an eyebrow. “You know your secretary’s in love with you, don’t you?”

“Oh God, no that’s not what I meant.” Willas said quickly. “After hearing your family’s history- Believe me- I would never- _no_.”

Alayne laughed. “I’m teasing you, Mr. Tyrell.”

Willas let out a sigh of relief. He had truly never dealt with a more, ah, _interesting_ family.

“But I thank you for all your help.” Alayne was saying.

A thought crossed Willas’ mind “Do you remember them at all?” He asked.

“My father smelt like mint all the time” Alayne replied after thinking for a moment. “And my mother… I can’t quite recall…” She glanced towards the back porch. “Though I think I vaguely remember coming out this door to find them sitting together.” A smile spread over her face. “It’s just a brief memory…but I remember them smiling at me.”

Alayne was leaning against the back door and she barely heard Willas give his goodbye.

If she closed her eyes and concentrated, she could just hear her parents laughter as if it were just in the other room.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
